I have a Tivo Premium XL. Recently, I hit 98% and it started cutting off the beginnings of shows, usually by one to five minutes, but sometimes much more. I deleted a bunch of things and reduced it to 88%, hoping that would solve the problem but it didn't--it's still cutting off the beginnings of all my shows. Does anyone know what the problem is? It seems there are a lot of problems with shows cutting off at the end but not the beginning.

No padding. These are all season passes that have been recording fine all season. Things like CSI, Criminal Minds, and the like. Nothing special about anything--they've just suddenly started getting cut off at the beginning...

Let me clarify, if you have enabled clipping in the Tivo settings, then you are at the mercy of the networks that broadcast shows with an extra minute (Grey's Anatomy for one example) or adjust their schedule slightly just to screw with DVR users.
There are a lot of reasons why recordings could be *off* time wise.

I would suggest that if the beginning of your favorite shows are not being recorded, then you should pad them an extra minute.
Keep in mind that this might result in some of your recordings ending early. It all depends on the priority you have assigned to them.

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I understand what clipping is and I can assure you that I have not enabled it. I only record two channels on that TiVo--CBS and NBC--so it's not possible to have a conflict. Each tuner has its own station so if a program runs over it's never a problem. I got sick of dealing with that very thing so I've got two TiVos running on the same television. The other records ABC and Fox. I do record shows, like Game of Thrones, on other channels, but since the cable stations tend to run their shows over and over again, TiVo will just record them at a later time.

As I said, I have been recording these shows all season long and have never had this problem before. It's not recording the first few minutes of shows and showing the recordings as partial. There have even been cases where it starts recording twenty to forty minutes late. This happens even if there's nothing scheduled before or after the program that's being cut off. If I schedule just one recording on any given evening--nothing before or after and nothing on another channel--it will cut it off.

I've owned TiVos for many years and have never had this happen before.

I understand what clipping is and I can assure you that I have not enabled it. I only record two channels on that TiVo--CBS and NBC--so it's not possible to have a conflict. Each tuner has its own station so if a program runs over it's never a problem. I got sick of dealing with that very thing so I've got two TiVos running on the same television. The other records ABC and Fox. I do record shows, like Game of Thrones, on other channels, but since the cable stations tend to run their shows over and over again, TiVo will just record them at a later time.

As I said, I have been recording these shows all season long and have never had this problem before. It's not recording the first few minutes of shows and showing the recordings as partial. There have even been cases where it starts recording twenty to forty minutes late. This happens even if there's nothing scheduled before or after the program that's being cut off. If I schedule just one recording on any given evening--nothing before or after and nothing on another channel--it will cut it off.

I've owned TiVos for many years and have never had this happen before.

Check your TiVo clock against your Computer, or does this clipping take place on all your TiVos. If you have no conflicts just start 1 min early and end 1 min later.

I checked the clock, which is fine. I also restarted, which made no difference. The clipping only takes place on that one particular box.

I don't want to set my programs minutes later and earlier--I want to fix the problem. I will not bow to the box, I will make it bow to me!

This began happening when I approached maximum capacity and I have a strong hunch that has something to do with it.

Thanks, by the way, for your help Les and Steve. Do you have any more ideas? This is driving me crazy! Especially since it's season finale week. One thing or another happens every year at this time to screw up my programming--I think it's bad juju.

I don't want to set my programs minutes later and earlier--I want to fix the problem. I will not bow to the box, I will make it bow to me!

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This began happening when I approached maximum capacity and I have a strong hunch that has something to do with it.

Reaching maximum capacity will affect what shows will be recorded due to lack of storage capacity, but I've never heard of it causing shows to be clipped. Worst case is that it will cause the Tivo to act a bit sluggish in response to remote commands, but that's about all. Suck it up and pad your recordings like the rest of us. Otherwise, enjoy your clipped recordings and stop griping.

I checked the clock, which is fine. I also restarted, which made no difference. The clipping only takes place on that one particular box.

I don't want to set my programs minutes later and earlier--I want to fix the problem. I will not bow to the box, I will make it bow to me!

This began happening when I approached maximum capacity and I have a strong hunch that has something to do with it.

Thanks, by the way, for your help Les and Steve. Do you have any more ideas? This is driving me crazy! Especially since it's season finale week. One thing or another happens every year at this time to screw up my programming--I think it's bad juju.

On the offending TiVo, did you check your clock to the second from your computer time just after using the Internet to set your computer clock. Outside of that, padding is the only thing i can think of, as one of my TiVos is full to the point of deleting a old show before recording a new one and no 1 min. problem as your having. Bend for a month by padding until you can find the problem.

OH try recording the same program on two different TiVos and see if the problem is the same as the local rebroadcast could be off by a minute. I have heard about a 20 second difference on say a presidential speech from two different network channels as we may be watching from two different rooms

There have even been cases where it starts recording twenty to forty minutes late.

This makes me think there may be a problem with the signal. Have you noticed the red recording light on at the intended start time to later find it a partial recording? Can you check the signal strength in the Diagnostics section of the Tivo? It may be caused by the signal dropping out only to be picked up sometime during the recording resulting in a partial program.

That's exactly what happens. The red light is on the whole time but the recording ends up partial.

I tightened up all the cables. The signal strength is reading from 70-72.

Great suggestion, thanks Whiskey. Although if it were the signal, why is it just cutting off the beginning and not the middle or the end...? I'll cross my fingers and see what happens tonight.

I did program 60 Minutes with a 2-minute padding at the beginning and it seems to be fine so far (it's not over yet). I'll still have the problem with the other shows though because I've got things going on both tuners tonight. If I pad the beginnings of the shows after 60 Minutes, then it tells me I can't because both tuners are working already. You can't tell a program to end early or start late, so I'm kind of screwed...

That's exactly what happens. The red light is on the whole time but the recording ends up partial.

I tightened up all the cables. The signal strength is reading from 70-72.

Great suggestion, thanks Whiskey. Although if it were the signal, why is it just cutting off the beginning and not the middle or the end...? I'll cross my fingers and see what happens tonight.

I did program 60 Minutes with a 2-minute padding at the beginning and it seems to be fine so far (it's not over yet). I'll still have the problem with the other shows though because I've got things going on both tuners tonight. If I pad the beginnings of the shows after 60 Minutes, then it tells me I can't because both tuners are working already. You can't tell a program to end early or start late, so I'm kind of screwed...

Try a test, record some program at say 7pm, but be watching the station on your TiVo a few minutes before 7pm, have a watch with a second hand set to your computer time to the second. Now when 7pm comes see if the red light come on, see if there is any interruption in the program your watching live, at about 704PM go back to your play list (hit the TiVo button twice) and start watching the show, did the record light come on at exactly 7pm, and did the show start at exactly at 7pm, and when you start watching the recorded show does it start a minute late, I would like the answer to this.

You can't tell a program to end early or start late, so I'm kind of screwed...

Actually, you can if you have your recordings set up to be clipped. If you're recording back-to-back shows on the same channel then you can always set up a manual recording with the start time set a couple minutes before the first show and ending a couple minutes after the 2nd show. You can also set up a recording for just the first show and then pad it by at least an hour after it ends to pick up the 2nd show.

My philosophy with regards to recording is that you can never have too many tuners. I used to have multiple Tivos just so I could pad recordings and avoid the very problems you're having. Problem is, having lots of Tivos gets expensive in a hurry, which is why I migrated to a Media Center PC. My HTPC currently has access to seven cablecard tuners for recording from FIOS and six ATSC tuners for OTA recording. I only have to pay for the extra tuners and not another box with a Tivo subscription so it's much more cost effective when you start getting beyond four tuners. Suffice it to say that missing a program is never an issue for me. I pad everything 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after (I have to pad it by 10 minutes at each end due to an issue with WMC or else shows get clipped).

Clean out the recently deleted folder. Also, do you have TA attached? I ask because this does sound like a signal problem.

lessd, I am perfectly aware of how long a boot takes and that crashes and reboots are unlikely, especially if it is cutting off both beginnings of back-to-back shows. However, your theory that it could be a timing problem can't explain the occasions when it starts 20-40 minutes late. Also, the TiVo wouldn't report it as a "partial" recording.

Clean out the recently deleted folder. Also, do you have TA attached? I ask because this does sound like a signal problem.

lessd, I am perfectly aware of how long a boot takes and that crashes and reboots are unlikely, especially if it is cutting off both beginnings of back-to-back shows. However, your theory that it could be a timing problem can't explain the occasions when it starts 20-40 minutes late. Also, the TiVo wouldn't report it as a "partial" recording.

I had not considered a TA, that could be important if had a delay in working for some reason.

Les, I did what you suggested. I watched the program on live TV while TiVo was recording it. The signal was fine but the recording was still cut off.

I have had some success when I play a recording while a show is at the very beginning and then exit out. If I go back and resume it'll be fine. BUT sometimes it no longer says resume--it says play even though I backed out earlier. In those cases the beginning is cut off.

There have been no cut-offs late in the show in the last few days. Now they seem to be under a minute, which I can live with. I'd still like to know what the heck the problem is though...

Les, I did what you suggested. I watched the program on live TV while TiVo was recording it. The signal was fine but the recording was still cut off.

I have had some success when I play a recording while a show is at the very beginning and then exit out. If I go back and resume it'll be fine. BUT sometimes it no longer says resume--it says play even though I backed out earlier. In those cases the beginning is cut off.

There have been no cut-offs late in the show in the last few days. Now they seem to be under a minute, which I can live with. I'd still like to know what the heck the problem is though...

Just so we're clear, you were watching "live TV" through the TiVo? In that case, it makes even less sense. You are always watching a recording, even if it is just the live buffer. Maybe you have some weird disk gremlin who is throwing away part of the disk h/w buffer on a new recording, and not writing it to the disk. "Nightmare at 32 Million Bytes".

The only thing I can think to try that would perhaps be fairly easy is to swap the TA's. I can't see how it would cause this problem but I can't think of anything that would that hasn't been eliminated.

In all the years I've had TiVos I've never had to ask for help because I always found a way to solve the problem. If I can't figure it out myself I come to this forum--so far I've always found an answer here. But this one has me completely stumped--and now you too! Maybe it IS gremlins!

The last time I fiddled with the TAs I lost reception on my other TiVo for several hours! They're behind the TV in the giant mass of wires (they run so hot I keep them away from everything). Next time I have to move the 600 lb. TV stand with the giant TV and all its boxes, I'll try that. If the problem ever resolves or I find a way to solve it, I'll let you know.